by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

Boston Celtics President Danny Ainge and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck talk about the upcoming season with USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt:

Danny Ainge

Question:What do you think of your team?

Ainge: "Through exhibition season, our team is trying to figure out who we are. I have a lot of confidence in Coach (Doc) Rivers. The All-Stars here are the constants of our team and provide leadership. We have veteran guys. We've added some guys who are in the prime of their careers â?? Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass, who was with us last year, Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox, guys in the their late 20s, early 30s. We've added a few young guys, too."

Q: It seemed the window for a title was closing on this group. But you made moves. Does opportunity still exist?

Ainge: "Those were legitimate questions about the window on the team. But Paul Pierce had a great March and April last season before he twisted and tweaked his knee and wasn't the same in the playoffs. He was the player of the month in March and great in April. KG (Kevin Garnett) was one of the best big men in the league all year last season, including the playoffs. They certainly showed that the window is not closing on them.

"We've added depth this year, and that depth should take a little bit of pressure off them and prolong their ability to be good players in Celtics uniforms."

Q: How important is the Celtics' ownership group to the team's success?

Ainge: "Having ownership that's been with this team for 10 years and shown a willingness to win and to do what it takes to win and spend the money it takes is enormous in the success of the Boston Celtics. This ownership group has been unbelievable. That is way bigger than ever gets recognizes. Everyone sort of blows that off. It's crucial.

"The second thing is, Doc Rivers is a great coach and a great leader and players like playing for Doc.

"Third, we have a team that is selfless and has a desire to play for one another and plays to win.

"Next would be the tradition. Sometimes, some of these young guys don't remember the Bill Russell era or even the Larry Bird era. But they do understand -- as they come into the practice facility â?? the championships and success of this franchise. You can't possibly help but recognize you are one of a bunch of players who have been through this organization that has had unbelievable success."

Q: Doc seems like a players' coach and an authoritarian at the same time. Not many coaches fall into both categories. How does he do it?

Ainge: "There have been successful coaches with different styles. Looking at the history of basketball, there's different personalities and different ways to win. There's not one way to win. But one thing that is clear about the Boston Celtics right now is that Doc is the leader. On the court, he allows (Rajon) Rondo and KG and Paul to play, and yet they know who they're playing for. They understand when it's time, it's Doc who they listen to. They have a good partnership, and all three of those guys would rather play for Doc than any other coach. I think that's very important that that mutual trust exists."

Q: As president, what do you expect from this team?

Ainge: "It's a long season. The season for a lot of teams goes in cycles. The one thing that I can never question about this group with the leaders we have on this team is their heart and their desire to be successful. Through the ups, I don't get too excited when the team is on a six-game winning streak. If the team's on a few-game losing streak, I don't get too down on them. Regardless of the success that they have during the season, I am very confident that they're going to give the Boston fans all they have."

Wyc Grousbeck

Q: What do you like about the Celtics so far?

Grousbeck: "I've been in for a decade now, and there's two things. One is just the absolute raw talent that we have, and the other thing is how it goes together, how it blends and how hungry the guys are. We have the talent. So do some other people. But we've got the talent to be in the mix. What we also have, though, is the best chemistry in the league. It starts with Kevin Garnett, Rondo, and Paul. Those guys would rather die than lose a basketball game, and it goes all the way through the squad. They're bleeding green and looking for another banner. It's just not the talent, it's more than the talent."

Q: How serious does the ownership group take the stewardship of the Celtics, given the history?

Grousbeck: "We named the ownership group Banner 17. It is bigger than ourselves. We are trustees of something that is a world-wide institution. It's not just New England. It's not just Boston. We just came back from Turkey and Italy (for preseason games), and there were more Celtics fans there than I could believe. It's a thrill to be part of something bigger than oneself. We got to work with Red Auerbach in the early days. We know it's not about ourselves. It's about the Celtics, and it goes back to 1946. We're very cognizant of that, and it's what makes it great because we don't run it for profit. We run it for championships."